A 1.2 billion yuan (175 million US dollars) synchrotron radiation project in east China's Shanghai will be completed and put into use in late April, researchers said Sunday.

The Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF) project is a key scientific research and technology development platform in China. The project began construction in December 2004 in Shanghai's Zhangjiang Hi-tech Park.

The SSRF is a third-generation of synchrotron radiation light source that will serve as great tools for Chinese scientific research and industry community.

The project has built seven beamlines and experimental stations for research and development in life science, new materials, physics and biochemical projects, according to the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, SSRF's major participant.

Up to now, the Shanghai institute has received more than 140 applications to work for SSRF from research staff from around 60 domestic colleges and institutes.

(Xinhua News Agency March 16, 2009)